Rippingale nature columnist writes about the arrival of migrant birds for the summer
Did you enjoy the “false spring” that we were treated to in early March? writes Rippingale columnist Ian Misselbrook.
Although the mornings often started with a frost, daytime temperatures in our area exceeded 18 degrees C on several days. Nearly all our resident birds were singing and even our overwintering blackcap was encouraged to sing despite its breeding territory being hundreds of miles away in Germany and central Europe. Our nesting blackcaps are unlikely to arrive from southern Europe and Africa before April.
The first insects that I had seen outside for months emerged. Brimstone butterflies were abundant for a few days and one small tortoiseshell also graced our garden. The first bumblebees, including some large queens were also on the wing and just one frog was calling from our garden pond.
The southerly airflows brought in a few spring migrant birds; the first sand martin appeared at the artificial nesting cliff at Deeping Lakes nature reserve before the end of February, but it was not joined by anymore until the second week in in March.
Avocets and black-tailed godwits returned to Frampton Marsh in good numbers. A few have also been noted on some of the flooded gravel pits close to Stamford and Bourne. As I write in mid-March other migrant birds are beginning to arrive; notably little ringed plovers, a few other assorted wading birds and at least one yellow wagtail.
Some of our wintering birds will remain for a few weeks yet. Brent geese are still plentiful on the coast but at a site close to Stamford where I do my Wetland Bird survey (WeBS) for the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) , for the second month running I saw a pair of goosanders. A fish eating saw billed duck that nests n hollow trees close to fast running mountain streams. Although not a rare bird, I haven’t seen this species at this site for a decade. My delight was enhanced by the arrival of a second drake during my WeBS visit in March, which was promptly driven off by the drake of the long staying pair.
The cranes at Willow Tree Fen are busy sorting out their nesting territories with much displaying and bugling. There are probably more potential breeding pairs of cranes than the reserve can support, so we await the outcome with excitement.
Brown hares are still chasing each other and the females continue to repel the advances of unwanted males by boxing their ears! Hares are very easily seen at present in the fields as the cereal crops are still quite short. Also, very conspicuous in the fields are fallow deer, currently encroaching on the territories of our native and far less harmful roe deer. This is probably a temporary problem as a necessary cull is taking place in the Forestry Commissions woodlands driving some of the deer into neighbouring farmland.
Badger cubs born in their underground setts during the winter will soon be tempted to emerge to play above ground. Look out for them if you are walking in our local woodlands during the evening.
